Leg-supported structure



g- 8, 19391 J. F. JOHNSON 2,168,710

- LEG-SUPPORTED STRUCTURE I Filed July 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l MayanJams FJokm Aug. 8, 1939. J. F. JOHNSON 2,168,710

LEG-SUPPORTED STRUCTURE Filed July 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lfoms' FLfOZf/S 021/ fig Mkm W Patented Aug. 8, 1939 PATENT OFFlCE 2,168,710LEG-SUPPORTED STRUCTURE Jonas F. Johnson, Chicago, Ill., assignor, bydirect and mesne assignments, to Joseph A. Anderson,

trustee, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 21, 1937, Serial No. 154,695

1 Claim.

My invention relates to leg-supported structures and is particularlyconcerned with the improvement of structures which are supported by Wolegs which may lie relatively close together when not in use and whichmay be separated and moved to appropriate load supporting positions.

The principal object of my invention is 'to' provide leg separatingdevices functioning automatically to move the legs to or toward theirseparated or load supporting positions while the legs are beingdeposited on a floor, or similar surface. I

The aforesaid leg separating devices, being carried by and movable withrespect to the legs, are adapted to extend below the lower ends of thelegs, when the latter are in their nonseparated positions, forengagement with a supporting surface on which the legs are to bedeposited-the engagement of such devices with the supporting surfaceresulting in appropriate movement of the legs, to or toward their loadsupporting positions, in the relatively short time interval between theengagement of the floor by the separating. devices" and the engagementof the floor by the legs.

In each of the hereinafter described preferred embodiments of myinvention, there is a link associated with each leg, each link havingone of its ends pivotally connected to its associated leg and having itsother end pivotally connected with the other link,the arrangement beingsuch that the links lie relatively close to each other, and depend belowthe legs, when the legs are in their non-separated positions. When thelegs are being deposited on a floor, or other supporting surface, thepivotally connected ends of the links engage such supporting surfaceahead of the legs and preferably perform their leg separating functionbefore the legs themselves touch the supporting surface. In this eventthere is no necessity for sliding the legs, relatively to each other, onthe floor or other supporting surface, in order to get them intoappropriate separated or load supporting positions.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the improvements of thepresent invention applied to a pair of legs associated with a garmenthanger;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the positions occupied by the legsand their separating devices when the coat hanger, and parts carriedthereby, are supported from above;

Fig. 3 illustrates the legs, and their separating devices, as theyappear immediately after the separating devices have engaged a floor orother supporting surface, while the legs are being deposited upon suchsupporting surface;

Fig. 4 is a detailed section taken on the line 5 44 of Fig. 1, andlooking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig.5 is a perspective-view, illustrating the improvements of thepresent invention applied to a pair of legs associated with a musicrack; 10

Fig. 6 illustrates the legs and leg separating devices of Fig. 5, asthey appear when the legs are in their non-separated positions, i. e.,when the legs are held in suspension from above;

Fig. 7 illustrates the legs and leg separating devices of Figs. 5 and 6,as they appear immediately after the engagement of a floor, or othersupporting surface, by the leg separating devices, and before the legsthemselves have been deposited on such supporting surface. 2.)

Similar characters'of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views;

The garment hanger of Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and the music'rack of Fig. 5,are merely illustrative of a large variety of structures which may com-25 prise supporting legs equipped with the improve ments of the presentinvention.

On the first sheet of the drawings, I have illustrat-ed a garment hangercomprising the usual carriers ill for shouldered garments, and the bar30 ll, over which other garments may be extended. Bail I2, pivoted tothe ends of the bar II, is provided with the customary hook I 3 tofacilitate suspension in the usual manner of the hanger and parts andgarments carried thereby. 35

I have provided the hanger with relatively long legs l4 whereby it maybe supported from a floor,

e. g., at a point adjacent a tailors pressing table. Each of the legs asillustrated, may consist of a single piece of appropriately bent wirehaving 40 its extremities satisfactorily attached (see Fig.

4) to the garment hanger. However, I do not limit myself to anyparticular means or method for attaching the legs to the coat hanger, orother structure, with which they are associated. 4 Each leg I4 ispreferably generally triangular in shape, 1. e. having its side membersconverging upwardly. Such triangular conformation of the legs makes formaximtun leg strength.

The legs [4 lie relatively close together, as 50 depicted in Fig. 2,when hanging in suspension from the garment hanger. However, they areadapted to move apart, to appropriate load supporting positions, asdepicted in Fig. 1.

I shall now describe the means whereby such 55 tions, relatively closeseparation of the legs is automatically effected when and while the legsare being deposited upon a floor, or other supporting surface.

I'he portion of wire or reach member constituting the lower or footportion of each leg is preferably conformed to provide the spaced toesl5 separated by an upwardly turned offset I6. At [1 are links which havetheir contiguous ends hingedly connected together at l8,--the other endsof such links being hingedly connected to the horizontal stretches ofthe offsets Hi, there being one link directly associated with each leg.When the legs l4 occupy the positions depicted in Fig. 2, the links I!take posito each other, such that their hingedly connected ends liesubstantially below the lowermost portions of the legs.

Now let us assume that the leg equipped coat hanger (or other structurewith which the legs are associated) is to be deposited on a fioor orother supporting surface indicated at [8. As the legs approach thefioor, the hingedly connected ends of links I! engage the floor andswing the legs apart, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. By the timethe legs touch the floor, they have arrived at their fully separated, orappropriate load supporting positions, as depicted in Fig. 1.

When the garment hanger (or other structure for which the legs M areprovided) is lifted so that the legs l4 clear the floor, the legs swingby gravity to the non-separated positions of Fig. 2, and the links I!take the positions illustrated in the same figure.

In the arrangement of Figs. 5, 6, and 7, a music rack I9 is suitablyattached to the upper end of a rod or standard 20. Welded or otherwisesecured to the lower end of the rod or standard 20, is a generallyU-shaped element 2| which provides eyes 22 for the reception of theupper portions 23 of wire legs l4. Except for the manner, of theirattachment to the structure with which they are associated, the legs llof Figs; 5 and. 6 are generally similar to the correspondinglydesignated legs of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, and are provided withseparating devices in the nature of hingedly connected links I1 whichfunction substantially, and for the same purpose, as do the similarlydesignated links of the earlier figures.

In the arrangement of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the maximum separation ofthe legs is determined solely by the links I]. But in the arrangement ofFigs. 5 to '7, the maximum separation of the legs is determined by afrustoconical apron 24, which is carried at the lower end of the rod orstandard 20, and flares downwardly to embrace the upper portions of thelegs l4, Apron 24 is provided with an integral sleeve 25, which closelyfits and may be spot welded or otherwise secured to the rod or standard20.

While I have illustrated my invention in several practical embodimentsthereof, I appreciate that the details of the leg-separating devices,and the legs with which they cooperate, may vary within the limits of myinvention as defined by the appended claim. By stand as the term is usedin the appended claim is meant any leg-supported structure in which mypresent invention is embodied.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

A stand comprising a pair of leg members having their upper ends inclose proximity and so connected to an associated structure that thelower ends of said legs may assume separated load-supporting positionsand swing together when suspended from above; each of said legs beingformed of wire conformed to provide a pair of spaced apart side membersand a reach member which extends between the side members and comprisesa link-engaging portion lying somewhat above the lower extremities ofthe side members; and a pair of links having hingedly connected ends,the other ends of such links being pivotally connected with the linkengaging portions of the reach members; the hingedly con nected ends ofsuch links hanging below the lower extremities of the legs when the legsswing together upon being suspended from above.

JONAS F. JOHNSON.

